Hello ra647:
Thanks for the interesting question.
That's a very broad question. Of course, the obvious overall answer is
that the more severe the injury, the higher the cost - but I'm sure
you're looking for more specifics than that!
Different types of injuries (auto, sport, home, etc.) would have
different figures and different ratios/correlations. Different ways of
measuring severity would also effect the results. As would a thousand
other variances in data collection and analysis.
I have found a couple of very informative documents for you to look
at. If, after you've read through them, you feel you need more
information, please ask for clarification and provide some more
details about exactly what it is you are looking for.
Measuring the Burden of Injury - New Developments in Cost of Injury
URL: http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/11000/11400/11433/session_3.htm
Note: This is a fascinating collection of several studies in this area
from different parts of the world.
The first study, "The Cost of Road Trauma: Single and Multiple Injury
Cases", has a nice table (Table 1) with costs broken down over 5
separate injury severity levels. It also puts forth a general linear
model for calculating an estimate of injury cost.
The third study, "The Valuation of Safety in the UK ? Some Recent
Developments", has a good table (Table 1) broken down by three levels
of severity and three different stages of recovery.
The Cost of Injury to Victoria
URL: http://www.monash.edu.au/muarc/reports/muarc124.html
Note: About halfway down the page, in the "OVERVIEW OF RESULTS"
section, there is a very interesting figure that shows the average
overall lifetime costs for deaths ($506,627), hospitalized ($20,609),
and non-hospitalized ($929) levels.
It is impossible to pin down a truly valid comparison on such a broad
question, but from my searching and reading I would suggest that a
good rule-of-thumb is that a critical injury cost about 10x as much as
a serious injury which costs about 10x as much as a mild/moderate
injury.
Please read these two documents and let me know if you need more help.
Search Strategy (on Google):
* "severity of injury" medical costs
websearcher |
Request for Answer Clarification by
ra647-ga
on
02 Jun 2005 07:44 PDT
Thanks for your prompt response. I am going out and will be back in
about an hour. when I return I will read it. Meanwhile, let me clarify
what I am looking for. first, I am interested in studies about the US
economy. Second, there are several severity of injury scales. One of
them, used by insurance companies, is called the 9-point injury scale.
1 is Emotional only (Fright, no physical damage.) and 9 is death. But
other scales (like a 5-point scale) exist as well. I am interested to
learn about the relationship between the severity of injury (however
conventionally measured) and the medical costs associated with it.
There are examples where the more severe the injury is, the less
costly it is to treat it. Think about severely injured leg (costly,
many operations) versus an amputee (relatively cheaper). Or a person
in comatose (relatively cheap, I think) v someone who is less severely
injured but needs more expensive care. (I am not sure about the latter
example).
|
Clarification of Answer by
websearcher-ga
on
02 Jun 2005 08:39 PDT
Hello ra647:
Thank you for the clarification - that was very helpful.
I have been able to find some interesting information that speaks to
your general idea that the cost of an injury is not always directly
related to its assigned severity (on the 9-point scale).
Handbook for Non-Cancer Health Effects Valuation
Appendix A: Literature Review for Economic Valuation of Pain and Suffering
URL: http://www.epa.gov/osa/spc/htm/Appb.htm
Note: See Exhibit B-7 about 2/3 the way down the page for an
interesting table which show general damages (i.e., medical costs)
claimed for each level of injury. Costs for Level 1 (emotional) are
higher than Level 2. Costs for Level 9 (Death) are less than both
Levels 7 and 8.
Is this the sort of thing you are looking for?
websearcher
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
ra647-ga
on
02 Jun 2005 09:10 PDT
Thanks for your response. I read the Literature Review for Economic
Valuation of Pain and Suffering. This is much closer to what I am
looking for, but we are still not there.
Special damages in Exhibit B-7 include both medical costs (which is
what I am looking for) but also loss of income (which I am not
interested in).
Thus, I am interested to see something like table 7 or 9 but with only
medical costs (no loss of income or productivity loss)
Thanks
|
Clarification of Answer by
websearcher-ga
on
02 Jun 2005 17:43 PDT
Hello ra647:
I have searched for several hours for the data you require but have
not been able to find it. I am rather surprised that this type of data
is so difficult to locate.
As a last ditch effort, I have contacted one of the authors of Exhibit
B-7 to ask for the data. If that avenue turns up emtpy, I will reques
the google Answers editors to remove my answer so you will not have to
pay for what I have (haven't) found so far.
I'll let you know what this person has to say as soon as I hear back.
Thankx for your patience.
websearcher
|
Clarification of Answer by
websearcher-ga
on
03 Jun 2005 06:59 PDT
Hello ra647:
I was able to get ahold of one of the authors of the studies mentioned
in my earlier response. This is part of the response I received from
Frank Sloan:
"...Where we do have information on medical losses is in the book I
coauthored, Suing for Medical Malpractice. 1993. U. of Chicago Press.
I am the first author. The book can be ordered from various places on
the web. In addition, it is probably in some libraries. Unfortunately,
the medical costs are only for ER and birth injuries, but I think we
do distinguish based on the severity scale. This took a lot of work to
do. Thus, I am almost positive about what the table you mentioned
represents...."
Unfortunately, there are no copies of this book in my local libraries.
However, if you perform the following search:
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%22Suing+for+Medical+Malpractice%22+%22find+in+a+library%22
You should be presented with a link to the "Find in a Library" website
with the book in question already entered. Simply enter your zipcode,
country, or other location and you will be presented with a list of
local libraries that have a copy.
The book can also be purchased for $39.22 at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0226762793/002-4674684-8248023?v=glance
but that's a lot of money to spend if you can just go to the local
library instead.
Let me know if you get a chance to review this book. I will let you
know what other information I receive from Dr. Sloan.
Thanks.
websearcher
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
ra647-ga
on
03 Jun 2005 08:11 PDT
I located the book. I will check it out.
Thanks!
|
Clarification of Answer by
websearcher-ga
on
03 Jun 2005 08:57 PDT
Wonderful! Please let me know if it has the type of figures you need.
websearcher
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
ra647-ga
on
15 Jun 2005 07:02 PDT
sort of, thanks anyway.
|
Clarification of Answer by
websearcher-ga
on
15 Jun 2005 07:16 PDT
You're welcome.
websearcher
|
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